Plain Jane color and barely there highlights too quiet for you? Take a cue from these celeb trendsetters and really trick out your strands.

These three statement-making looks will kick you out of your color comfort zone and into a more awesome age of edgy. Of course, amping up the drama means getting a little help at the salon, but you can also mimic the looks at home temporarily. Either way, it's time to get your gutsy on.

Neon Highlights

Whether you have one or a ton, standout streaks in a polar-opposite shade scream notice me now!

Try some color foreplay: Sample the drama without the commitment by adding a few removable hair extensions (we like HairDo 5-Piece Fine Line Set, $43). The pieces come in a bunch of shades (pick a contrasting color) and widths — 2-inch versions offer the most in-your-face effect. (You can trim them to match the length of your real hair.) And you don't need a cosmetology degree to attach them. Simply snap open the comb like clip, position it at your roots (teasing your hair keeps the piece in place), then snap it shut. "Place it under a layer of hair to conceal the it," says Kari Hill, colorist at the Serge Normant for John Frieda Salon in Los Angeles. Of course, the more pieces you put in, the more dramatic your look will be. Two locations to consider: near the front of your face at your temples (they will show up even if you tuck your hair behind your ear) and at the nape of your neck (they will stand out when you pull all your hair in front of your shoulders or push it off to one side).

Now go all the way: DIY highlighting and dye kits — made for tiny transitions, like going from dark to light brown — lack the bleach strength or pigment concentration of pro formulas, so call your colorist to get these contrasting tones. "Short hair looks great with lots of fine highlights on top, while long lengths are better paired with thick bands of color near the ends," says Hill.

Rocker Roots

Overgrown highlights are the inspiration for this sexy, rebel-chic look: a dark-at-your-part shadow that transitions into lighter, brighter ends.

Try some color foreplay: Lots of brands make pens packed with temporary hair color, which tint roots until your next shampoo (our favorite: ColorMark TouchBack, $29.95). Choose a matching shade, then apply like you would a marker to darken hair. For a longer-lasting effect, smooth a tinted shampoo (such as L'Oréal Professionnel Colorist Collection, $15) along roots from ear to ear, parting and applying as you go. Leave it on like a hair mask, and rinse after 20 minutes. Or there's always the lazy girl's approach: Sit back and watch roots grow out. It takes two months for a noticeable inch.

Now go all the way: Ask your colorist for highlights (at least three shades lighter than your natural tone) that start an inch from your scalp as well as lowlights (which match your true hair hue) along roots. Expect to sit in your colorist's chair for about half an hour, the time it takes to create the key feature of this look: strands that get lighter as you reach the ends. The contrast not only creates the illusion of darker roots but also looks natural. "When you let streaks grow out, the ends have months, even years of bleach buildup," says celebrity colorist Marie Robinson. Roots will appear darker and darker with time, so wait at least 12 weeks before your next touch-up. If bleached zones start appearing brassy — blame the oxidation process of air plus the buildup of minerals in your water, says Robinson — apply L'Oréal Brass Banisher Color Balancing Gloss Treatment, $9, to neutralize the orange tones.

Icy Blond

Like the Red Bull of hair color, a platinum tone ratchets up that infamous have-more-fun 'tude.

Try some color foreplay: Showering with a purple-tinted shampoo or conditioner (two great options: Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo, $9, and Redken Blonde Glam Perfect Platinum Color Enhancer Conditioning Treatment, $13) can catapult light blond hair to platinum heights. "It's all about the color wheel," says Kelly Van Gogh, celeb colorist in NYC. "The opposite of yellow is violet, which cancels out any golden tones." Let the conditioner penetrate for two minutes, then rinse completely to avoid a Smurfette-blue tint.

Now go all the way: This totally unique white-blond shade stands out in the sea of buttery, multi-tonal blonds. "The cool, monotone hue looks best on fair-skinned girls, who have complementary cool undertones," says Van Gogh. If your current color is within the golden-blond to medium-brown zone, your colorist will opt for a double process: Your pigment will be stripped with bleach then followed up with a white-blond toner for tons of sexy shine. Darker hues require two or three stages of lightening, each separated by a week to prevent a fried, damage do. Either way, you'll need to beef up your conditioning routine once you get home. "Bleach makes hair porous, so it's less able to hold on to moisture," says Van Gogh. Sub your usual conditioner with a deeper treatment (try Biolage Color Care Therapie Delicate Care Masque, $20) every other wash. And apply a leave-in version before a heat-styling session.